Foreign Births Register FAQs

You can apply to the Foreign Births Register (FBR) if you were born outside Ireland and either:

• one of your grandparents was born on the island of Ireland, or
• one of your parents was an Irish citizen at the time of your birth, even though they were not born in Ireland — for example through naturalisation or their own FBR entry.

Once you are entered on the register you are an Irish citizen and can apply for an Irish passport. Not sure which applies? Try the eligibility checker.

No. If one of your parents was born on the island of Ireland and was an Irish citizen when you were born, you are already an Irish citizen, automatically. You do not need Foreign Birth Registration and can apply for an Irish passport (opens in a new tab) directly.

Yes. The rules refer to the island of Ireland, so a parent or grandparent born in Northern Ireland counts in the same way as one born in the Republic of Ireland.

Yes. The Department of Foreign Affairs confirms that anyone with a grandparent born on the island of Ireland can apply, whether or not your parents ever held Irish passports. See Irish citizenship through a grandparent.

Not directly. A great-grandparent only helps if your parent had already been entered on the Foreign Births Register before you were born — in which case you apply through your parent. If your parent registered after your birth, you cannot apply through them.

Applications based on Irish descent or associations beyond that are a separate route, decided at the discretion of the Minister for Justice.

No. Birth, marriage and death certificates must be originals issued by the civil registration authority.

The only photocopies in your pack should be copies of photo ID — yours, and that of any living parent or grandparent in your claim — each certified as a true copy by someone from the approved witness list. The documents checklist lists everything by route.

Yes. At the end of the process the Department of Foreign Affairs returns all of your original certificates by recorded mail, which you sign for. You do not need to send a prepaid return envelope.

Find the entry first — search the civil registers with our Find Irish documents tool — then order the official full birth certificate:

• Born in the Republic of Ireland, or in Northern Ireland before 1922: order online from the HSE civil registration service (opens in a new tab) for €20 plus postage.
• Born in Northern Ireland: order from the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab) (GRONI) for £15.

Irish civil registration of births began in 1864. If your grandparent was born before then, the Department of Foreign Affairs accepts their baptismal certificate instead.

Your name exactly as it appears on your birth certificate. If you have changed your name since birth, you can still get an Irish passport in the name you use by providing the right supporting documents.

Your witness must be someone from an approved profession who knows you personally, is not a relative, and is currently practising. The same witness:

• signs and dates your printed application form and adds their official stamp;
• signs and dates two of your four passport photographs;
• certifies a photocopy of your photo ID as a true copy of the original.

If your witness doesn’t have an official stamp, enclose their business card instead.

Someone who knows you personally, is not a relative, and is currently practising as one of:

• Garda Síochána / police officer
• School principal, vice principal, teacher, school secretary, pre-school manager, Montessori teacher or lecturer
• Member of the clergy
• Medical doctor
• Nurse
• Physiotherapist
• Speech therapist
• Pharmacist
• Dentist
• Lawyer
• Notary public / commissioner for oaths
• Peace commissioner
• Bank manager or assistant bank manager, or credit union manager or assistant manager
• Accountant
• Elected public representative
• Vet
• Chartered engineer

The application form is online only, at fbr.dfa.ie (opens in a new tab). You fill it in and pay the fee online, print it, sign it in front of your witness, and post it with your original documents to the address printed on the form.

There is no public office, so applications can’t be handed in, and the Department doesn’t acknowledge receipt — send yours by recorded post. The step-by-step guide walks through it.

About 12 months to process a complete application. Applications are handled in strict date order, and incomplete applications are returned without being processed — so getting the pack right first time is the biggest time saver.

Generally no — applications are processed in strict date order.

The main exception is expectant parents. A child born before you are entered on the register can’t get citizenship through you, so if your baby may arrive before your application is processed, mark it clearly on your application and contact the Foreign Birth Registration Customer Service Hub (see ireland.ie (opens in a new tab) for contact details).

On the date you are entered on the Foreign Births Register — not from your date of birth. This matters for your children: only children born after your registration can apply through you.

Yes, if you live in the same country. You can use one set of supporting documents for both applications: enclose the two separate application forms in one envelope with a letter explaining which documents apply to both.

• Adults (18 and over): €278 — €270 for registration and the certificate, plus a non-refundable €8 postage and handling fee.
• Under 18: €153 — €145 plus the €8 postage and handling fee.

The fee is paid online when you submit your application.

No. Anyone who qualifies can apply directly to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The only unavoidable costs are the official fee and the cost of certificates, photographs and postage — and every tool on this site is free.

No. You can’t apply for an Irish passport until you are an Irish citizen — for FBR applicants, that means once you have your Foreign Birth Registration certificate. Don’t put a passport application in the same envelope as an FBR application; they are handled by different offices.

• Adult 10-year passport (Passport Online): €75, plus a €15 postal fee if you live outside Ireland.
• Child 5-year passport (Passport Online): €20, plus a €5 postal fee per child application — or a single €15 postal fee for children living outside Ireland.
• Post Passport Service: €80 for an adult passport, plus a €9.50 handling fee for a single application.

See passport fees on ireland.ie (opens in a new tab) for every option.

Children born after you are entered on the Foreign Births Register can apply for entry themselves. Children born before your registration aren’t eligible through you, because you weren’t an Irish citizen when they were born.

Not for Ireland. Irish law allows dual citizenship, so you can become an Irish citizen and keep your other citizenship. Some countries don’t allow dual citizenship, so check the rules of your other country of nationality.